About Me

With 33 years as a professional sportswriter for the Journal News (Westchester, N.Y.) and 20 years covering the Giants, Ernie Palladino brings a wealth of knowledge to this blog. His contacts inside and outside the organization will make this blog the fastest, most objective news source for Giants fans of all ages.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Giants Sign Bulluck

Looks like the Giants found their middle linebacker, though he's a little beat up with a lot of tread off the tires.

They worked out former Titans LB Keith Bulluck and apparently liked what they saw. Or at least liked him enough to sign him, perhaps as more of a stopgap in the middle while folks like rookie Phillip Dillard or Jonathan Goff develop. They're taking a chance, however, as Bulluck comes off ACL surgery after having his final year in Tennessee cut short after Game 10.

Don't quite have an idea of how this'll turn out. Bulluck is known as a pretty good locker room guy. His teammates loved him, so perhaps he can offer some short-term leadership. Best-case scenario, he comes all the way back and adds a solid middle linebacker for the next couple of years. But right now, he must be regarded as a short-term plug to a huge hole in the defense. Certainly worth the gamble.

16 comments:

do we really still use the phrase "waiting to develop" for Jonathan Goff? He's had ample time to show something, anything and has done nothing..if they were going to sign Bullock, they should have dumped Goff and kept Micah Johnson, a player who actually did something in college. It suggests that the front office missed the boat on MLB and this is a sad plan B

Anonymous - I wouldn't say Goff had "ample time". Injured his rookie year and playing behind both Pierce and Blackburn most of last year. He could still use more exposure and development time.

I love it and hate it. He'll definitely add the brains and experience that will be lacking without Pierce. I'm just weary about filling the hole with a vet instead of getting young blood to take over and be the future.

"I'm just weary about filling the hole with a vet instead of getting young blood to take over and be the future."

Huh? You don't think Bulluck is aware of his situation? You don't want a vet who has reached the pro bowl and was a solid contributor to excellent Tennessee defenses as a guy the youngsters can look up to while providing stability and capable work at a position th Giants most desperately need? A guy who actually wants to be here?

I sometimes wonder if some of the people who actually post here have any idea what they want from this team. Every year, I would love for the Giants to make the playoffs to have a chance at a run, like in '07-'08. I would rather not have to sit through what happened last year, as well as the period from when I was born to 1981. Make up your minds, folks. This team has a window that is available to it. And when you have that window, make the run before that window closes.

Another great signing by Reese.Even though the Giants have had an unspeakably bad run of injuries starting with Plax and Phillips and etc, etc, we can be thankful that we have a GM who knows how to maneuver in the open field.

I'm not sure its the death toll for Goff, but its clearly not a vote of confidence either. I like the signing as it gives us a veteran presence in a key position. I was banging the table in the offseason on signing Morrison.

If the Giants signed ggggggggggmen to play middle I would be happy. Last years grades, DL F, LB F, DB F. This seasons offseason upgrade grades DL C+, LB D+, DB A. I will now raise the LB upgrade grade to C-.

If anything it provides great leadership in the locker room for the young guns and will help full circle in the defense. The guy still had 80 plus tackles last season and 3 int's (1 from Peyton and 2 on Brees). At 33 hes quicker than Antonio Pierce while running backwards. The guy can still play. Seriously folks, it wouldnt be the same without a 33 year old LB on the roster this year anyway. Haha

I keep reading in these posts that the younger players will learn from a vet like Bullock. When was the last time the giants developed a LB? is this a outcome of the Sheridan era?

I think if he's healthy Bullock is here to play not to teach. I worry about a guy who had ACL, but the Giants medical staff has hopefully looked at this fully (one has to wonder after the signing of the return specialist a few weeks ago only to release him right away)

If you look around the NFL, some teams have had success handing over the MLB to an untested rookie or 2nd year player: Hawk, Willis, Ryans are a few. I would have loved to learn that Goff or Dillard showed so much that one is now the starter, but for my money, neither one of them is as good right now as Bullock and that's what matters

Tom - You are 100% right. Sometimes I'm not sure what I want from this team, when it comes to filling in the missing links. I just have the big "if" in my mind; if he recovers 100% from the ACL injury and IF he hasn't lost a step. Definitely an upgrade from Blackburn and Goff though...